Through October 31, 2021, the first major exhibition of sculpture by Wallace Chan, a multidisciplinary Chinese artist, is presented at Fondaco Marcello. Curated by James Putnam, the exhibition “TITANS: A Dialogue Between Materials, Space, and Time” features a series of monumental titanium and iron sculptures and a site-specific immersive installation composed of titanium and stainless, reflective steel, an unprecedented investigation of Chan’s sculptural work. Together, this new core of works illustrates Chan’s thinking about the connection between materials, space, and time through titanium-a futuristic, space-age metal that has long been the object of his experimental impulse.
Wallace Chan is one of the world’s most celebrated jewelry artists, but his skill in sculpture – an art to which he has applied himself for more than four decades – is less well known. When he was an apprentice carver at the age of 16, his materials were opaque stones such as malachite, jade and coral, and auspicious Chinese symbols were his inspiration. Chan developed his skills and learned the art of Western sculpture by visiting Christian cemeteries, admiring marble statues of saints and angels. After six months of monkhood in the early 2000s and having renounced all of his possessions, Chan finds himself in the complete absence of artistic tools. Nevertheless, his passion for sculpture persuades him to create works using more common materials such as concrete, copper and stainless steel.
The artist’s use of reflective steel is also a reference to the history of Venice, as one of the major centers of mirror production since the 16th century, and a tribute to the city that has been a constant source of inspiration for him.
Website: www.wallace-chan.com
Location: Fondaco Marcello, Venice
Schedule: until Oct. 31, 2021
